MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cardinals' defense secures win

Ball State improves to 12-4 on season, perfect 4-0 in MAC

Already off to its best start in more than 10 years, the Ball State men's basketball team continued to roll Wednesday night.

Its 60-51 victory over Eastern Michigan kept Ball State undefeated in Mid-American Conference play (4-0) and is the Cardinals' sixth consecutive win.

The score in the first half went back-and-forth between the two teams, but the Cardinals quickly showed why they have the top scoring defense in the MAC. Ball State held Eastern Michigan to 31.7 percent shooting, including 15 percent (3-for-20) from 3-point range.

Coming off a one-game suspension, Eastern Michigan forward Brandon Bowdry did all he could to put pressure on Ball State.

Bowdry came into the game second in points (20.9 ppg) and first in rebounds (10.1 rpg) in the MAC. He topped his scoring average against Ball State with 26 points on 24 shots.

No other Eastern Michigan player scored more than five points.

While the Eagles preferred to let their superstar do most of the work, the Cardinals' consistent and balanced scoring powered the offense.

Forward Jarrod Jones led Ball State in scoring with 15. Guards Randy Davis and Jauwan Scaife also scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

With the win, Ball State improves to 12-4 on the season.

Coach Billy Taylor could not be reached for comment.

After the Cardinals travel to Toledo to play the Rockets on Saturday, they will move on to teams playing in the MAC East.

The MAC West has proven to be weak this season, so the real test will be how Ball State can handle teams like Kent State and Ohio. The Golden Flashes and Bobcats hold records of 11-7 and 8-10, respectively, and both teams were picked to finish high in the MAC during the preseason.

The upcoming stretch of games should go a long way towards determining the Cardinals' seeding in the MAC Tournament in March.